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ASP3: This is John Galt

Posted by sdesapio 10 years, 11 months ago to Entertainment
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Ideally, the actor playing John Galt in Atlas Shrugged Part 3 will appear to have jumped right off of the pages of Atlas Shrugged. However, in our quest to find the perfect John Galt, some tough choices may have to be made. That's where you come in.

If you had to choose, which would you consider the number one priority in casting John Galt?

A. As long as the actor looks and acts like John Galt, I don't care what his personal beliefs are.
B. The actor needs to possess a deep understanding of, and passion for, Ayn Rand's ideas first and foremost.

Leave your answer in the comments below.


All Comments


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  • Posted by Shree-Agnihotri 10 years, 11 months ago
    Christian Bale sounds pretty good.
    Although I'd much rather prefer an actor who we've known to have followed the Rand philosophy in life. Aamir Khan has been known to have been a perfectionist. He doesn't care if the movie will take two years, he just has to make it right. He doesn't care about the critics, changes appearances like Depp. hink he is pretty perfect for the role.
    However, Hrithik Roshan has been called a greek god too many times. Cannot be ignored.
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  • Posted by AlphaTitan 10 years, 11 months ago
    (B) I feel as though the actor that is to play the part of John Galt, should in fact have his believes. Otherwise, why make the movie at all. After all, he is John Galt! Long Live The "John Galts" of The World!!!! I am JOHN GALT!!
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  • Posted by darren 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    >>>If an A list actor loved the book, there's a chance they'd take the role just for the chance to be involved.

    You're dreaming. No A-list talent will go near Part 3 ESPECIALLY if they loved the book; to do so would be an act of altruistic self-sacrifice on their part. They're not stupid. They're very aware of the failure – commercially and critically – of Parts 1 and 2.
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  • Posted by darren 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    >>>Wrong. You comment fails to understand that this film is communication a philosophic theory via a work of art.

    Wrong. Your comment fails to grasp that ALL films communicate a philosophical theory, not just THIS film. However, it's not the PURPOSE of a fiction film to lecture to the audience explicitly on philosophy (or on anything else). The purpose of a fiction film is to tell a story. PERIOD. The story will communicate the philosphical message.

    Oh, and by the way: the more entertainingly the story is told, the more effectively the philosophical theory will be communicated. As filmmakers, you should be concentrating your efforts on TELLING THE STORY.

    Therefore, the notion that the actors -- or the director, the cinematographer, the editor, the production coordinator, the honeywagon vendors, or kraft service -- must themselves believe in, or adhere to, the particular philosphy intended by the film's story, is not just silly; not just puerile; not just plain dumb; no, the attitude is far, far worse: it's UNPROFESSIONAL. And that's the worst insult in the entertainment biz.

    >>A theory that should be practiced in life.

    You clearly have never shot film, directed film, edited film, or written a screenplay. You've never even been on a set. You have precisely ZERO idea of what you're talking about. I would say "how sad", but given the generally declining intellectual abilities of Objectivists today compared to the 1970s, I say instead "how typically Objectivist."
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  • Posted by MaryBolles 10 years, 11 months ago
    Anyone but Alec Baldwin :)
    I liked Paul Johansson from AS Part 1.
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  • Posted by Ragnars_Crew 10 years, 11 months ago
    Someone like Matthew McConaughey would be great. Galt is described as having the look of indescribable happiness on his face and Matthew has this quality. I would also like to see someone like Vince Vaughn play Hank Rearden, he is right height and I hear that Vince is very Libertarian and is there something wrong with a brunette Dagny?
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  • Posted by Rocky_Road 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Matthew definitely looks happy...who wouldn't be in his place? But probably too expensive (and known) to take the role. The last thing that I would want to say when I finally see John Galt is: 'oh yeah...I liked him in his last movie!'

    Brunette's good!
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  • Posted by Rocky_Road 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    D.B. Sweeney got screen credit for John Galt in Part 2, and I wouldn't mind seeing him finish the trilogy.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 10 years, 11 months ago
    I hate doing this, but IMO A & B are equally important. Gotta LOOK the part (and be the same age range as Taylor, er, Dagny -grins--), but also has to BELIEVE the part he is playing. Someone just acting will tank this production... On the other hand, picking a no-name would also keep pulling this franchise down... You have to remember that there WAS an understated sexual dymnamic as well as a philosophical romance between Galt and Taggart... you lose that you've lost half of the character.

    And one other thing... There is a *very* distinctive characteristic John has in the book... Emerald Green Eyes.

    All in all - I would also throw in for Jim Caviezel - he IS a strong actor and the right age and IMO could do both the track worker Galt and the Inventor/leader Galt and make it believable.
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  • Posted by ChestyPuller 10 years, 11 months ago
    A - When it comes it actors, it is the role not the person that is important.

    ...and if he is as good an actor as you claim, he will need to get deep into character... and it could be a come to 'conservative' moment.
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  • Posted by MaxCasey 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Again, you said "not all", I never suggested all were. So who's point were you discussing? If it was mine, you missed it.
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  • Posted by MaxCasey 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Wrong. You comment fails to understand that this film is communication a philosophic theory via a work of art. A theory that should be practiced in life. The demonstration of which should be capable in the work itself less it become a contradiction. This differs from basic story telling, or lesser works of art, specifally where one isn't outlining a philosophy of life. The fact that some can't grasp this distinction is just sad.
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  • Posted by oneblueruger 10 years, 11 months ago
    B. However, the actor must be someone we want to look at and listen to. Josh Duhamel. Josh Lucas. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Rick Malambri.
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  • Posted by darren 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    >>>This role deserves and most importantly needs to have an Objectivist be cast in it.

    So a film dealing with Christian themes requires a committed Christian to star in it; a WWII film dealing with Nazis needs to have actual Nazis in it . . . now, what about space alien films, eh? Do they require real space aliens, or do they simply require people who can act with lots of makeup and customes?

    This is why the great majority of the world regards Objectivism as a cult: "You gotta be one of us if you're gonna pretend to be one of us in the movies!"

    Right.
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  • Posted by Mark 10 years, 11 months ago
    I would prefer someone who looks and acts like Galt, and ideally draws an audience beyond the base (which, I know, can be expensive).
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  • Posted by Vegasrenie 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    In order for the part to be believable, the age has to be a big part of it. Lots of people are promoting Gary Sinise, but he's almost 60. No matter how well he acts, no one would believe him as a young and vibrant John Galt.
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  • Posted by Vegasrenie 10 years, 11 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I agree 100%. Anthony Hopkins was stellar in Silence of the Lambs, but no one for a moment believes that he's a psychotic cannibal in real life. He just played one really well.
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